Dallas, Texas -- Dallas College students earned a total of 18 medals at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, held June 23-27 in Atlanta. Forty-six students represented the college after qualifying by winning gold at the state level earlier this year.
“These outcomes reflect the powerful, real-world impact of SkillsUSA and the vital role of career and technical education (CTE) at Dallas College,” said Dr. Maria Boccalandro, dean of special academic programs at Dallas College.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported 7.4 million job openings in April 2025, including more than 596,000 in Texas alone. With CTE careers in high demand, opportunities for Dallas College students continue to grow—underscoring the relevance and necessity of CTE in driving economic development.
Among the top winners was Minh Kieu, a recent graduate with an associate degree in digital art and design. Kieu took home gold in advertising design, where he was challenged to create six deliverables, including a logo, within six hours. One judge, a comic book publisher, was so impressed with his work that he expressed interest in a future collaboration.
“I’m grateful that Dallas College provided me the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA and network with likeminded people,” Kieu said. “It taught me a lot and gave me the confidence to launch my career.”
Dallas College medalists at the 2025 SkillsUSA national competition:
Gold
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Minh Kieu – Advertising Design
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Khai Huynh, Moise Steeve, Saho Zabzi and Mohammed Khan – Chapter Display
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Caleb Giddings and Harrison Nguyen – Community Action Project
Silver
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Brook Tilahun, Jason Tejeda, Ryan Lee, Noor AlRubaye and Kent Ho – Chapter Business Procedure
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Norma Salinas – “Facilithon” Leadership in Facility Management
Bronze
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Courtney Chaney, Eboni Johnson, Ariana Ross and Morgan Deanna Barnes – Entrepreneurship
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Rosemary Pate – Restaurant Service
“Over the past four years, since the SkillsUSA program has been under my leadership, our students have consistently excelled on the national stage, demonstrating exceptional talent, professionalism, and career readiness,” said Boccalandro. “Some students received job offers on the spot from industry judges, highlighting the high quality of our training programs and the workforce preparedness of our students. Others earned full-ride scholarships to four-year universities, while many were awarded professional tools, equipment and resources from industry sponsors in recognition of their skills and potential.”
About Dallas College
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025, Dallas College consists of seven campuses — Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland — plus a dozen centers located throughout Dallas County. As one of the largest community colleges in the U.S., Dallas College offers online and in-person learning, serving more than 127,000 credit, workforce and continuing education students annually. Students benefit from partnerships with local school districts, four-year universities, industry and community leaders. Dallas College offers associate degrees and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as bachelor’s degrees in education, nursing and software development. As the largest provider of dual credit in Texas, Dallas College serves 30,000 high school students through 63 dual credit programs.
